As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate, the airwaves are full of alarmist commentary. Military analysts and political leaders alike are warning that Tehran is ‘on the brink’ of possessing a nuclear weapon. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt even claimed, ‘Iran has all that it needs to achieve a nuclear weapon … and it would take a couple weeks to complete the production of that weapon.’ This is not just a misstatement. It is misinformation—and it risks pushing the United States into a hasty and unjustified war.

The reality is far more complex. Enriched uranium—even at weapons-grade levels—is only one component of a long, technically demanding process required to create a functional nuclear bomb. Understanding why this alarmism is premature requires a clear breakdown of what’s actually involved in building such a device.

According to U.S. experts and declassified intelligence assessments, a nuclear weapon requires at least the following elements:

1. Highly Enriched Uranium (HEU): Iran would need U-235 enriched to 90%, but that alone is insufficient.
2. Precision Shaping: The uranium must be machined into a flawless sphere, requiring high-end metallurgy and computing.
3. Explosive Lenses: Carefully placed charges must detonate simultaneously to compress the core—a method called implosion.
4. Trigger Mechanisms: These detonators must be precisely synchronized; even a microsecond delay renders the weapon ineffective.
5. Reflectors and Tampers: Elements like beryllium are required to maintain compression and sustain the chain reaction.
6. Weaponization: The bomb must be ruggedized into a functional assembly, including casing and electronics that can survive delivery.
7. Delivery Systems: The weapon must be fitted onto a missile, aircraft, or another platform capable of reaching its target.

In addition to enriched uranium and implosion mechanisms, a functional nuclear weapon requires several other complex components that Iran has not demonstrably mastered. These include a neutron initiator to trigger the chain reaction, precision fusing and arming systems, and reentry vehicle technology if the weapon is to be missile-delivered. A credible nuclear arsenal also demands sub-critical testing infrastructure to validate design functionality and safety protocols to control explosive yield. These technical requirements involve advanced engineering, testing, and materials—none of which are confirmed to exist in Iran’s program today.

Each of these steps represents a serious technological challenge. While Iran has demonstrated enrichment capabilities, there is no credible open-source evidence that it has mastered the other essential components. The most difficult hurdle—weaponization—remains the most classified and technically advanced part of the entire process.

Yet Israel’s recent week of strikes on Iranian nuclear and military facilities—including the deeply buried Fordow enrichment site near Qom—were reportedly driven by fears that Iran had crossed the 90% enrichment threshold. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that Iran now possesses enough enriched uranium for ‘nine nuclear weapons’ and the IDF’s Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir warned of an ‘immediate operational necessity’ as Iran had ‘reached the point of no return.’ However, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and U.S. intelligence assessments have not publicly corroborated any progress toward assembling a usable bomb.

The Fordow facility, often portrayed as a doomsday site, is not a weapons lab. It is an enrichment plant—too deep to strike easily, but also too constrained to test, assemble, or launch a nuclear weapon. That fact alone should prompt the question: Why strike now?

Netanyahu’s warnings are not new. In 2012, he told NBC’s Meet the Press that Iran would have enough material for a bomb in ‘six or seven months,’ urging the U.S. to draw a ‘red line’ before it was ‘too late.’ The dire prediction never materialized. No bomb was built. No red line crossed. The episode offers a lesson in how worst-case scenarios, not verified facts, can drive the conversation.

Before the United States commits to military action, President Trump—and the American people—deserve clear answers: Does Iran possess the necessary components, the design knowledge, and the capacity to assemble and deliver a functioning weapon? Or are we risking war based on fear and incomplete intelligence?

We have been here before. In 2003, the U.S. invaded Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. That war cost thousands of lives, almost three trillion dollars to the present, destabilized a region, and damaged U.S. credibility for decades. To repeat such a mistake would be strategic malpractice of the highest order.

None of this downplays the threat Iran poses. The regime’s support for proxy militias, its ballistic missile program, and its pattern of obstructing IAEA inspections are deeply troubling. But deterrence and diplomacy—not preemptive war—must be the first response. The United States retains a full suite of tools: cyber operations, regional missile defense, economic sanctions, and multilateral diplomacy. Military action should remain the final option—not the opening move.

As Australian novelist Kate Forsyth reminds us: ‘War is an unpredictable beast. Once unleashed, it runs like a rabid dog, ravening friend or foe alike.’ Let us not unleash that beast over uranium that is dangerous—but not yet detonatable.

President Trump, Congress, and our intelligence community must deliver a full, honest accounting. What does the United States know—not suspect—about Iran’s nuclear readiness? What pieces are still missing? What tools short of war can ensure they stay missing?

These are the questions that must be answered before another missile is fired. Panic is not a policy. Precision is.

Recent arrests of Chinese nationals at the University of Michigan have resurrected concerns about CCP-owned farmland and property in the United States, particularly in Michigan, and caused some to draw parallels with the current conflict between Iran and Israel. 

Earlier this month, two Chinese nationals were charged with allegedly smuggling a ‘dangerous biological pathogen’ into the U.S. to study at the University of Michigan in an incident that FBI Director Kash Patel described as a ‘sobering reminder that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) continues to deploy operatives and researchers to infiltrate our institutions and target our food supply, an act that could cripple our economy and endanger American lives.’

Later, a third Chinese national with connections to the university was arrested, renewing questions about China’s efforts to infiltrate and influence various sectors in the United States, including buying up farmland, which has been a growing concern nationwide.

A 2023 report from the United States Department of Agriculture found that ‘foreign persons held an interest in nearly 45 million acres of U.S. agricultural land,’ which represents 3.5% of all privately held agricultural land and 2% of all land in the country.

While China is not at the top of the list of countries in that report, the arrests in Michigan have prompted calls from Congress to ensure that the CCP, viewed by many as the nation’s top geopolitical adversary, is not buying up farmland in the United States.

Republican Sen. Pete Ricketts exclusively told Fox News Digital this week that China has been aggressively buying American agriculture, ‘which is why we need to have a heightened sense of vigilance around protecting our homeland.’

Ricketts, along with Democratic Sen. John Fetterman, introduced the bipartisan Agricultural Foreign Investment Disclosure (AFIDA) Improvements Act that seeks to implement recommendations published by the Government Accountability Office in January 2024, which found the AFIDA was ill-equipped to combat foreign ownership of American agricultural land. 

‘China’s land purchases aren’t just about acreage—they’re about access,’ Michigan GOP Rep. John Moolenaar, chairman of the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the CCP, told Fox News Digital. 

‘Even small parcels near military bases or critical infrastructure pose serious national security risks. In my home state, we’ve seen concerning cases like Gotion’s site near Camp Grayling. We need full transparency into who’s buying land and where—because the Chinese Communist Party shouldn’t be allowed to hide behind shell companies to gain a foothold in our country.’

China’s encroachment into Michigan’s agriculture was enough of a concern for Republican state Rep. Gina Johnsen to introduce legislation earlier this year banning foreign adversaries from buying up farmland.

‘Our state’s agricultural industry is a pillar of our economy. My community is an agricultural community,’ Johnsen said. Our farms provide food security, jobs, and economic stability for countless residents. However, there is growing concern about losing our farmland to countries of concern.’ 

Additionally, Chinese farmland has become a topic of conversation in the wake of revelations that Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear capabilities was aided by years of covert planning, surveillance and infiltration by Israeli intelligence. 

Code-named ‘Am Kelavi’ (Rising Lion), the preemptive operation was the product of unprecedented coordination between the Israeli air force, the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Mossad and the country’s defense industries. For years, they worked ‘shoulder to shoulder’ to gather the intelligence files needed to eliminate Iran’s most sensitive military and nuclear assets.

As part of that operation, Israel was able to establish a drone base inside Iran, where Mossad operatives retrieved them from hiding spots to use against Iranian sites. 

Bryan Cunningham, president of Liberty Defense and former CIA intelligence officer, told Fox News Digital that the Israeli operation is a ‘wake-up call’ for the United States about what a foreign adversary like China could potentially carry out in the United States.

‘As an intelligence officer, part of me says, I wish that the sources and methods of building these drone factories inside the target countries hadn’t been revealed,’ Cunningham said. ‘But on the other hand, it does serve as a wake-up call, hopefully for our policymakers, and it also ties in, and if I were the administration, I would make this tie in immediately and loudly with the Trump administration’s border strategy.’

Cunningham continued, ‘Our borders are where you’re most likely to actually intercept these kinds of toxins, explosives, flares, 3D-printed weapons, ceramic weapons, whatever it is. So if it were me and I were the Secretary of Homeland Security, I would be tying this all together. You know, it is important to get people out of the country that have committed violent or other serious crimes in the country, but it’s also really important to prevent people like these guys from bringing in those kinds of materials.’

The FBI is increasing its surveillance of Iranian-backed operatives inside the United States as Trump weighs strikes, a senior law enforcement official told Fox News on Friday. 

Fox News Digital’s Deirdre Heavey, Lucas Tomlinson and Efrat Lachter contributed to this report.

Several provisions in the Senate GOP’s version of President Donald Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ have run afoul of Senate rules and must be stripped if Republicans want to pass the package without the help of Democrats.

The bill is undergoing what’s called a ‘Byrd Bath,’ when the parliamentarian meticulously combs through each section of the mammoth bill to determine whether policies comport with the Senate’s Byrd Rule.

The point of the budget reconciliation process is to skirt the Senate filibuster and pass a massive, partisan legislative package. But if provisions are left in that fail the test, Senate Republicans will have to meet the typical 60-vote threshold. Provisions that don’t pass muster can still be appealed, however.

Senate Democrats vowed to use the Byrd Bath as a cudgel against the Senate GOP to inflict as much pain as possible and slow momentum as Republicans rush to put the colossal bill on Trump’s desk by July 4. 

Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., could also overrule the parliamentarian but has remained adamant he would not attempt such a move. 

Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough scrutinized three chunks of the megabill from the Senate Banking, Environment and Public Works and Armed Services committees and found numerous policies that failed to meet the Byrd Rule’s requirements.

Among those was a provision that would have eliminated funding for a target of the GOP’s since its inception in 2008, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which would have effectively eliminated the agency. Doing so also would have slashed $6.4 billion in spending.

Senate Banking Committee Chair Tim Scott, R-S.C., said in a statement he would ‘remain committed to cutting wasteful spending at the CFPB and will continue working with the Senate parliamentarian on the Committee’s provisions.’

Attempts to put guardrails on the $150 billion in Defense Department funding baked into the package also failed to pass muster. The language would have required that Pentagon officials outline how the money would be spent by a certain deadline or see the funding reduced.

Other provisions on the chopping block include language that cut $300 million from the Financial Research Fund and cut jobs and move the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board under the umbrella of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which would have saved roughly $773 million.

An attempt to change the pay schedule for Federal Reserve employees was also nixed, which would have saved about $1.4 billion.

Environmental standards and regulations set by the Biden-era Inflation Reduction Act were also determined to have run afoul of the Byrd Rule, including a repeal of tailpipe emissions standards for vehicles with a model year of 2027 and later. 

The State Department said Friday it had provided ‘information and support’ to over 25,000 people in Israel, the West Bank or Iran seeking guidance on what to do and how to get out.

When pressed on the matter during a State Department briefing Friday afternoon, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce declined to go into further detail about how many of those 25,000 people are American citizens or any other breakdown of the number. 

News of the number of people the State Department has assisted comes after the agency announced the formation of a task force to assist Americans looking to leave Israel or other Middle Eastern countries.  

Bruce said during a press briefing Friday that the United States does not intend to help transport American citizens directly from Iran, and they will have to make it out first before they can be assisted by the government. 

United States Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said earlier this week the embassy in Jerusalem was ‘working on evacuation flights & cruise ship departures’ for Americans trying to leave Israel.

Huckabee released his statement hours after the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem wrote in its own X post that there was ‘no announcement about assisting private U.S. citizens to depart at this time,’ but it simultaneously acknowledged ‘the Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist with private U.S. citizens’ departure from crisis areas.’

So far, the U.S. has not engaged in a large-scale effort to help Americans get out of Israel. But, according to ABC News, the military did assist in flying some American diplomats and family members from the U.S. Embassy this week. 

Private flights for American citizens did begin landing in Florida Thursday after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis dispatched four planes to pick up U.S. citizens stuck in Israel during the ongoing violence. Other private options to get out of Israel are also available.

On Monday, the State Department raised its travel warning for Israel to the highest level possible.

President Donald Trump announced on Friday he and Secretary of State Marco Rubio had secured a ‘wonderful’ treaty between Rwanda and Congo, as Pakistan formally nominated him for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

‘I am very happy to report that I have arranged, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a wonderful Treaty between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the Republic of Rwanda, in their War, which was known for violent bloodshed and death, more so even than most other Wars, and has gone on for decades,’ Trump wrote in a Truth Social announcement. 

The president noted representatives from Rwanda and the Congo will be in Washington on Monday to sign documents. 

He went on to discuss his chances at winning a Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he wouldn’t get one, ‘no matter what I do.’

‘This is a Great Day for Africa and, quite frankly, a Great Day for the World,’ Trump wrote in the post. ‘I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for this, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between India and Pakistan, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for stopping the War between Serbia and Kosovo, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for keeping Peace between Egypt and Ethiopia (A massive Ethiopian built dam, stupidly financed by the United States of America, substantially reduces the water flowing into The Nile River), and I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize for doing the Abraham Accords in the Middle East which, if all goes well, will be loaded to the brim with additional Countries signing on, and will unify the Middle East for the first time in ‘The Ages!’

‘No, I won’t get a Nobel Peace Prize no matter what I do, including Russia/Ukraine, and Israel/Iran, whatever those outcomes may be, but the people know, and that’s all that matters to me!’

On Wednesday, India refuted claims by Trump that he had stopped the war between Pakistan and India.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri wrote in a news release that ‘talks for ceasing military action happened directly between India and Pakistan through existing military channels, and on the insistence of Pakistan,’ according to a report from Reuters.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterated India ‘has not accepted mediation in the past and will never do,’ Misri noted in the statement.

The mention of a Nobel Peace Prize came nearly two hours after the Government of Pakistan published a lengthy post on X, formally recommending Trump for the honor.

‘The Government of Pakistan has decided to formally recommend President Donald J. Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of his decisive diplomatic intervention and pivotal leadership during the recent India-Pakistan crisis,’ the post read. ‘The international community bore witness to unprovoked and unlawful Indian aggression, which constituted a grave violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, resulting in the tragic loss of innocent lives, including women, children, and the elderly.’

Pakistani leaders said at a moment of heightened regional turbulence, Trump demonstrated ‘great strategic foresight and stellar statesmanship’ through ‘robust diplomatic engagement’ with both Islamabad and New Delhi, securing a ceasefire.

‘This intervention stands as a testament to his role as a genuine peacemaker and his commitment to conflict resolution through dialogue,’ the post continued. ‘The Government of Pakistan also acknowledges and greatly admires President Trump’s sincere offers to help resolve the longstanding dispute of Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan—an issue that lies at the heart of regional instability.

‘President Trump’s leadership during the 2025 Pakistan India crisis manifestly showcases the continuation of his legacy of pragmatic diplomacy and effective peace-building. Pakistan remains hopeful that his earnest efforts will continue to contribute towards regional and global stability, particularly in the context of ongoing crises in the Middle East, including the humanitarian tragedy unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating escalation involving Iran.’

According to The Nobel Prize’s website, to be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, a person must be a ‘qualified nominator,’ which includes national governments, heads of state, previous award winners, and members of specific international organizations. 

The nomination process is confidential, and entries are due by Jan. 31, hence the 2026 nomination.

While Democratic senators are blaming President Donald Trump for the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict, Republicans are urging the president to continue standing in support of Israel as it attempts to eliminate Iran’s nuclear weapon capabilities.

This comes as Israel and Iran, two major powers in the Middle East, are locked in a heavy missile war. Israel, a U.S. ally, has been targeting Iranian nuclear facilities with the intent of keeping Iran from utilizing nuclear weapons, something Trump has long advocated.

Following intense speculation that Trump would join the conflict by launching a U.S. strike on Iran, the White House issued a statement from the president in which he said there is a ‘substantial chance’ for renewed negotiations to end the conflict. In the statement, Trump said he would decide which path to take in the next two weeks.

The White House has said that any deal with Iran would have to include a full commitment to not developing nuclear weapons, including no uranium enrichment, a necessary step to developing nuclear weapons. Iran has said it will not accept an agreement with a zero enrichment provision. 

Speaking with Fox News Digital in the halls of the Capitol, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., slammed Trump for pulling the U.S. out of a nuclear agreement of which Iran was a part during his first term. 

‘The way to keep Iran from having a nuclear weapon is through negotiation,’ she said. ‘We actually had that deal, and Donald Trump threw it out the window.‘

That means we lost our inspectors, we lost the plans that had been made,’ she continued.

‘Right now, we need more deconfliction in the area. We need to bring down the temperature between Israel and Iran. That’s what’s best for Israel and Iran, it’s what’s best for the region and for the whole world,’ said Warren.

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., also blamed Trump, saying, ‘He’s the one who put us out the deal in the first place,’ which she said ‘very much so’ contributed to the ongoing conflict.

While he said the U.S. should not be involved in bombing missions or any other military action against Iran, Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., said, What we should do is continue to provide Israel with all the tools they need to defend themselves.’

‘I hope the president will continue to promote a diplomatic solution that we had until he tore it up,’ said Kaine.

Meanwhile, Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, who caucuses with the Democrats, told Fox News Digital that the ‘question is can it be resolved without our involvement.’ He said he hopes Iran ‘will see the light and decide they don’t need to keep developing nuclear fuel.’

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital that he believes Trump ‘standing unshakably with the nation of Israel’ is the right move to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon.

Israel is being incredibly effective with their military strike against Iran. They’ve taken out the senior military leadership, the leaders who would wage a war have been one after the other after the other surgically taken out by Israel. They are also taking out missile launch sites, and they’re taking out nuclear research sites, the sites where Iran is working to develop a nuclear weapon,’ Cruz explained.

‘Deterrence is always the key,’ said Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Ohio. ‘This president has been very clear he’s all about peace, and he doesn’t want to use the might of the United States unless we absolutely have to. I believe deterrence is the best foreign policy, because it shows peace through strength.’

That being said, Mullin said Trump has he’s been ‘very clear for over a decade: In no way are we going to allow the Iranian regime, who is the number one sponsor of terror around the world, to have a nuclear weapon.’

‘So, we need to be prepared to back up Israel if they’re not able to do the job, then we need to be able to finish it,’ he said.

Look, he has said this for 10 years. He has said Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, full stop,’ said Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala. ‘So, it is not just about [uranium] enrichment, which absolutely should have never happened and cannot happen, but it is also complete and total dismantlement of the nuclear program.’

President Donald Trump told reporters Friday that his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, is ‘wrong’ in her assessment that Iran is not close to building a nuclear weapon.

Trump’s comments came after he departed Air Force One en route to his Bedminister, New Jersey, golf club, when he stepped aside to take a few questions from reporters. 

‘She’s wrong,’ Trump said after he was asked about Gabbard’s assessment that Iran is not close to building a nuclear weapon. ‘My intelligence community is wrong.’

Trump’s remarks were preceded by a question from a reporter asking the president, who publicly opposed the Iraq war roughly 20 years ago, what made this situation with Iran different – considering no weapons of mass destruction were ever found after the George W. Bush administration invaded Iraq. 

‘There were no weapons of mass destruction. I never thought there were. That was somewhat pre-nuclear. You know, it was –  there was a nuclear age, but nothing like it is today,’ Trump said. ‘And it looked like I’m right about the material that they’ve gathered already [in Iran]. It’s a tremendous amount of material. And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, [Iran was] going to be able to have a nuclear weapon. We can’t let that happen.’

In March, DNI Gabbard said during an opening statement to the Senate Intelligence Committee that that the intelligence community ‘continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.’

Meanwhile, last week Gabbard posted a cryptic three and a half minute video on X last week, warning of the risks of a potential nuclear war, and blasting ‘warmongers’ for bringing the world ‘closer to the brink of nuclear annihilation than ever before.’

President Donald Trump said aboard Air Force One earlier this week that he doesn’t care what Gabbard says, ‘I think they were very close to having one,’ when pressed on the pair’s divergent opinions. 

This week, according to The Guardian, Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chair, Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said Gabbard’s assessment has been ‘reconfirmed’ by current intelligence.

Fox News Digital reached out to Gabbard’s office for comment but did not receive an immediate response.

European and Iranian negotiators ended their talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Friday without a clear breakthrough, but diplomats told The Associated Press they were hopeful of more discussions with the Iranians.

The talks with Iran come a day after White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt delivered a message from President Trump, stating, ‘Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks.’

One former Pentagon official says there is an important issue that is not being discussed.

‘If Iran gives up its nuclear program as Trump has demanded, there’s another problem we’re not talking about, which is how do we get all the nuclear material outside of Iran,’ Michael Rubin, an American Enterprise Institute senior fellow, told Fox News Digital.

Rubin, who has lived in post-revolution Iran, Yemen, and both pre- and postwar Iraq, mentioned that there are a few options available.

‘The United States could do it, but we don’t want boots on the ground.’

He said the International Atomic Energy Agency could be tasked with doing it, adding, ‘Who really trusts the United Nations and U.N. agencies?’

‘If Trump is serious about getting Iran to forfeit its nuclear program, it’s time to start having a conversation with other allies about who could take command, control and custody of this nuclear material until it’s outside of Iran.’

Rubin said he would nominate India to seize the nuclear material.

‘They are trusted by the Americans, they’re trusted by the Israelis and they’re trusted by the Iranians. But we need to start not only being reactive, but also proactive,’ said Rubin

Rubin cited a quote from Margaret Thatcher to George H.W. Bush in 1990 —  ‘Don’t go wobbly on me now, George’ — when Saddam Hussein invaded Iraq. 

‘I suspect Marco Rubio is filling Margaret Thatcher’s britches, that he is the one going around now to our European allies, saying, ‘Don’t go wobbly on me now.,’’ said Rubin.

‘[He] is saying this to everyone else within the European Union and the United Kingdom because if the Europeans have their choice, they’re going to choose quiet over common sense.’

On Thursday, Rubio spoke with counterparts to discuss the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict. 

According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, he spoke with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot in separate conversations about the ongoing conflict. 

They all agreed to ‘continue to work together closely to commit to a path of peace and ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon,’ Bruce said.

Louis Casiano and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Diplomats from Britain, France, Germany and the European Union met with Iran’s foreign minister on Friday, urging the country to continue diplomacy with the U.S. one week after stalled nuclear talks escalated into attacks between Iran and Israel. 

‘We are keen to continue ongoing discussions and negotiations with Iran, and we urge Iran to continue their talks with the United States,’ British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said. ‘We were clear: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.’

The meeting, held in Geneva, Switzerland, was the first face-to-face with an Iranian leader since last weekend’s flashpoint. 

‘The good result today is that we leave the room with the impression that the Iranian side is fundamentally ready to continue talking about all important issues,’ German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said. He said the two sides had held ‘very serious talks.’

The meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi lasted for more than three hours.

‘Military operations can slow Iran’s nuclear program but in no way can they eliminate it,’ French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot said. ‘We know well — after having seen what happened in Afghanistan, in Iraq, in Libya — how illusory and dangerous it is to want to impose regime change from outside.’

In a joint statement, France, the U.K., Germany and the E.U. said they shared their ‘grave concerns’ with Araghchi ‘with regard to the escalation of tensions in the Middle East and reiterated their firm commitment to Israel’s security,’ adding that ‘all sides should refrain from taking steps which lead to further escalation in the region, and urgently find a negotiated solution to ensure that Iran never obtains or acquires a nuclear weapon.’

Early last Friday, Israel launched airstrikes against Iranian nuclear sites after nuclear talks seemed to stall, causing Iran to retaliate. The two countries continue to trade strikes. 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared soon afterward that the strikes were necessary to ‘roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.’

The meeting also comes less than a month after a report from the International Atomic Energy Agency warned the country is swiftly increasing its stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium. 

On Friday, the European diplomats ‘reiterated their longstanding concerns about Iran’s expansion of its nuclear programme, which has no credible civilian purpose, in violation of almost all JCPoA provisions.’

They added that they ‘discussed avenues towards a negotiated solution to Iran’s nuclear programme, while emphasising the urgency of the matter. They expressed their willingness to continue discussing all questions relevant to Iran’s nuclear programme and broader issues,’ urging Iran to cooperate with the IAEA.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump said he may consider a U.S. strike on Iran. 

‘Yes, I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this that Iran’s got a lot of trouble, and they want to negotiate,’ Trump told reporters Wednesday on the U.S. potentially striking Iran as it continues trading deadly strikes with Israel. ‘And I said, why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction? Why didn’t you go? I said to people, why didn’t you negotiate with me two weeks ago? You could have done fine. You would have had a country. It’s very sad to watch this.’

Trump on Friday told reporters the U.S. is ‘willing and able’ to talk to Iran, adding that Iran doesn’t want to talk to Europe. ‘They want to speak to us. Europe is not going to help,’ he said. 

He added that while he was against the war in Iraq in 2003 because he didn’t believe there were weapons on mass destruction, he believes Iran is building a nuclear weapon, saying that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard is ‘wrong’ in saying there isn’t enough evidence to conclude that. 

‘The material that they’ve gathered already. It’s a tremendous amount of material. And I think within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months, they are going to be able to have a nuclear weapon,’ he said. ‘We can’t let that happen.’ 

On Friday, the U.K., France, Germany and EU diplomats, said they also ‘shared their support for discussions to continue’ with Iran and ‘welcomed ongoing US efforts to seek a negotiated solution. They expressed their willingness to meet again in the future.’

 Fox News’ Emma Colton and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), an agency essentially dismantled by DOGE amid complaints from Democrats that cutting waste would harm impoverished countries, is at the center of a massive bribery scandal.

A federal contracting officer and three businessmen have pleaded guilty in a scheme involving bribes like cash, NBA tickets, and a country club wedding in a scandal the Department of Justice (DOJ) said was part of a $550 million scam, Fox News Chief Washington Correspondent Mike Emanuel reported Friday. 

Roderick Watson, 57, worked as a USAID contracting officer, according to a DOJ press release, and pleaded guilty to ‘bribery of a public official.’

According to the DOJ, Watson sold his influence starting in 2013, with contractors Walter Barnes, owner of Vistant, and Darryl Britt, owner of Apprio, funneling payoffs through subcontractor Paul Young to hide their tracks. 

‘During the scheme, Britt and Barnes paid bribes to Watson that were often concealed by passing them through Young, who was the president of another subcontractor to Apprio and Vistant,’ the press release explained. 

‘Britt and Barnes also regularly funneled bribes to Watson, including cash, laptops, thousands of dollars in tickets to a suite at an NBA game, a country club wedding, downpayments on two residential mortgages, cellular phones, and jobs for relatives. The bribes were also often concealed through electronic bank transfers falsely listing Watson on payroll, incorporated shell companies, and false invoices. Watson is alleged to have received bribes valued at more than approximately $1 million as part of the scheme.’

Vistant was awarded in November 2023, as part of a joint venture, a contract worth up to $800 million with one of the focuses of that contract being to address ‘a variety of issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States,’ an issue that President Joe Biden tasked then-Vice President Kamala Harris with during his presidency.

Several days later, that contract was canceled after USAID published a notice that said Vistant was excluded from government contracting due to ‘evidence of conduct of a lack of business honesty or integrity.’

The joint venture then successfully sued the government over being put on that exclusion list and was re-awarded the contract and given a $10,000 payment in August 2024. 

‘Corruption in government programs will not be tolerated. Watson abused his position of trust for personal gain while federal contractors engaged in a pay-to-play scheme,’ Acting Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Sean Bottary of the USAID Office of Inspector General (USAID-OIG) said in the press release.

‘USAID-OIG is firmly committed to rooting out fraud and corruption within U.S. foreign assistance programs. Today’s announcement underscores our unwavering focus on exposing criminal activity, including bribery schemes by those entrusted to faithfully award government contracts. We appreciate our longstanding partnership with the Department of Justice in holding accountable those who defraud American taxpayers.’    

USAID was one of the public faces and most drastic examples of DOGE’s efforts to cut waste, fraud, and abuse in government, and the effort resulted in the agency’s programs being cut by 83%, while the programs deemed vital were moved to the State Department. 

USAID’s website went dark, and employees were barred from entering its headquarters on Feb. 3, while others had their work put on hold. The Trump administration then announced that all USAID direct-hire personnel would be put on administrative leave.

The agency came under fire for many funding choices, including allocating $1.5 million for a program that sought to ‘advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia’s workplaces and business communities’ and a $70,000 program for a ‘DEI musical’ in Ireland.

During DOGE’s sweep, it was revealed that U.S. dollars were ending up in the hands of terror-linked groups, such as funds reportedly providing ‘full funding’ for al-Qaeda terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki to attend college in Colorado, Fox News Digital previously reported. 

As DOGE was dismantling USAID, many Democrats and media outlets blasted the cuts, claiming they would harm impoverished recipients of aid across the globe and some, including U2 frontman Bono, who said the cuts would lead to over 300,000 deaths. 

Several House and Senate Democrats protested outside of USAID’s headquarters in early February, expressing outrage over the layoffs and cuts, The Hill reported.

‘Anybody who cares about good and effective government should be concerned about the waste, fraud, and abuse in government agencies, including USAID,’ Matthew R. Galeotti, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, said in the DOJ’s press release. 

Fox News Digital’s Diana Stancy and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.